Consider the following sentences:
kadat al-shams-u taghibu
— The sun was about to set.
ʿasa al-diq-u an yanfarija
— Perhaps the distress will be relieved.
kariba al-maʾ-u yajmudu
— The water was on the verge of freezing.
awshaka al-mal-u an yanfada
— The money was about to run out.
If you reflect on these sentences, you will notice that they are nominal sentences upon which verbs (kada, ʿasa, kariba, awshaka) have entered, performing the operation of kana and its sisters — that is, leaving al-mubtadaʾ in the nominative (called their 'noun', ism) and putting al-khabar in the accusative (called their 'predicate', khabar). For this reason they are 'incomplete verbs' (afʿal naqisa).
Read also: 'The Abrogating Verbs Kana and Its Sisters: Definition, Iʿrab, Clear Examples'.
Categories of Afʿal al-Muqaraba
Kada and its sisters fall into three categories:
1 — Verbs of approximation (afʿal al-muqaraba)
These indicate that the predicate is on the verge of occurring, namely: kada, awshaka, kariba.
2 — Verbs of hope (afʿal al-rajaʾ)
These indicate hope for the predicate's occurrence, namely: ʿasa, hara, ikhlawlaqa.
3 — Verbs of inception (afʿal al-shuruʿ)
These indicate beginning to do something. They are many — among them: anshaʾa, akhadha, tafiqa, ʿaliqa, qama, aqbala, habba.
Kada and Its Sisters and Their Meanings
ʿasa: for hope of the action's occurrence.
kada, kariba, awshaka: indicate that an event is on the verge of happening — quick and imminent. 'Kariba' may also be used in this sense (i.e., 'drew near, came close'); its verbal noun is kuruban. From it: 'karabat al-shams' — 'the sun drew near to setting.'
hara, ikhlawlaqa: similar to ʿasa. Saying 'hara Zaydun an yatafawwaqa' means 'Zayd has become deserving of excelling.' Likewise ikhlawlaqa.
tafiqa: carries the sense of persistence in something and continuing it.
habba: indicates speed and energy.
ʿaliqa: carries the sense of being attached to the action and adhering to it.
Examples of Verbs of Approximation, Hope, and Inception
kada al-matar-u yahtilu
— The rain was about to pour.
awshaka al-waqt-u an yantahiya
— The time was about to end.
kariba al-subh-u an yanbalija
— Dawn was on the verge of breaking.
ʿasa Allah-u an yaʾtiya bi-l-faraj
— May Allah bring relief.
ikhlawlaqa al-kaslan-u an yajtahida
— It seems the lazy one might exert himself.
hara al-ghaʾib-u an yahdura
— It is fitting that the absent one should attend.
sharaʿa al-tifl-u yabki
— The child began crying.
akhadha al-binaʾ-u yanharu
— The building began collapsing.
Kada and Its Sisters and Their Operation
Kada and its sisters operate like kana and its sisters: they leave al-mubtadaʾ in the nominative (called their ism) and put al-khabar in the accusative (called their khabar) — under the following conditions:
1 — Their khabar must be a verbal clause whose verb is in the present tense (mudariʿ).
2 — The present-tense verb must occur after 'an al-masdariyya' (the infinitive 'an, 'to') with the verb 'awshaka', and without it with the verbs (kada, kariba) and the verbs of inception.
– أوشك المطر أن ينزل .
kadat al-safinat-u taghraqu
— The ship was about to sink.
kariba al-shitaʾ-u yanqadi
— Winter was on the verge of ending.
anshaʾa al-raʿd-u yaqsifu
— The thunder began roaring.
The reverse is also permitted: the present-tense verb may come with awshaka without 'an al-masdariyya', and with it for the verbs (kada, kariba).
– كادت السماء أن تمطر .
3 — The khabar must be postposed; however, it is permissible for it to fall between [the verb] and its ism.
yakad-u yanqadi al-waqt
— The time is about to end.
tafiqa yansarifuna al-nas
— The people began departing.
Examples of Iʿrab for the Verbs of Approximation
kada al-matar-u yanhamiru
— The rain was about to pour down.
kada: an incomplete past-tense verb (fiʿl madi naqis), fixed on the manifest fatha at its end. al-matar: ism kada in the nominative case, marked by the manifest damma at its end. yanhamiru: a present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end; the subject is a permissibly concealed pronoun, implied as 'huwa' ('he/it'). The verb-and-subject clause is in the position of accusative as the khabar of kada.
sharaʿa Zayd-un yaqraʾu
— Zayd began reading.
sharaʿa: an incomplete past-tense verb, fixed on the manifest fatha at its end. Zayd: ism sharaʿa in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end. yaqraʾu: a present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma; the subject is a permissibly concealed pronoun implied as 'huwa'. The verb-and-subject clause is in the position of accusative as the khabar of sharaʿa.
ʿasa Zayd-un an yuwaffaqa
— Perhaps Zayd will be granted success.
ʿasa: an incomplete past-tense verb, fixed on an estimated fatha on the alif, prevented from appearing because of taʿadhdhur. Zayd: ism ʿasa in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end. an: a particle of accusative-governance. yuwaffaqa: a present-tense verb in the accusative case by 'an', marked by the manifest fatha at its end; the subject is a permissibly concealed pronoun implied as 'huwa'. The verb-and-subject clause is in the position of accusative as the khabar of ʿasa.
tushiku al-madaris-u taftahu abwab-a-ha
— The schools are about to open their doors.
tushiku: an incomplete present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end. al-madaris: ism tushiku in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma at its end. taftahu: a present-tense verb in the nominative, marked by the manifest damma; the subject is a permissibly concealed pronoun implied as 'hiya' ('she/it'). The verb-and-subject clause is in the position of accusative as the khabar of tushiku. abwaba-ha: a direct object in the accusative, marked by the manifest fatha; a mudaf. 'ha' is a connected pronoun fixed on sukun, in the position of genitive as a mudaf ilayh.
Verbs of Approximation in the Noble Quran
Allah Most High said:
– ‘ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ ‘ ( الإسراء 8 ) .
– ‘ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِ يَذْهَبُ بِالْأَبْصَارِ ‘ ( النور 42 ) .
– ‘ وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ ‘ ( طه 121 ) .
– ‘ يَتَجَرَّعُهُ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُسِيغُهُ ‘ ( إبراهيم 17 ) .
– ‘ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ ‘ ( ص 33 ) .